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Lucas a finalist for Wooden Award

March 7, 2014

Lucas a finalist for Wooden Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Lady Lion senior guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) has been selected as a finalist for the Wooden Award. The senior is among 15 players named to the ballot for National Player of the Year by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board.

Lucas won her second-straight Big Ten Player of the Year honor after averaging 21.5 points, which is second in the Big Ten and 15th nationally, with 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game in the regular-season. Lucas leads the NCAA in free throw percentage with a sizzling 95.9% from the charity stripe, which is just off pace to break the NCAA single-season record held by Penn State's Adrienne Squire (96.4%). The senior was the Jan. 28 Big Ten Player of the Week and is a five-time Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll selection.

For her career, Lucas is second in Penn State history and fourth in Big Ten history with 2,439 points. She is second in Big Ten and program history with 356 career three-pointers and needs just one triple to break Kelly Mazzante's Big Ten and Penn State record in the category. Lucas is currently 12th in NCAA history in three-pointers made. She also ranks 10th in PSU history in steals (228), 15th in assists (278) and 29th in rebounds (518). Lucas is the only player in school history and just the sixth player in the Big Ten to accumulate 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists and 200 steals. For her career, Lucas has connected on 90.7% of her shots from the from the free throw line, which leads the Big Ten and is seventh in the NCAA record books.

About the John R. Wooden Award Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Candace Parker ('07 and '08), Kevin Durant ('09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut ('09 and '11). Baylor's Brittney Griner won the 2013 John R. Wooden Award.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award's name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com, following us on Twitter (@WoodenAward), or going to the Wooden Award Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5231 or via email at woodenaward@laac.net.

For the 15th time, Penn State will host the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds on March 23 and 25, 2014. All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $17 for youth and students. There is also an all-session group rate for groups of 20 or more of any age at $20 per package. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY or visiting the Penn State athletics ticket office between the hours of 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.